Information and Broadcasting Minister Zahir Uddin Swapan has said it is essential to have a proper authority to determine who is a journalist and who is not.
He made the remarks in a directional address on Thursday morning, July 23, at the 34th meeting of the Press Accreditation Committee — the first meeting of the newly formed committee — held in the conference room of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting at the Secretariat.
The information minister advised members of the Press Accreditation Committee to ensure that every decision properly reflects the country’s constitution, prevailing laws and rules. He also called for far-sightedness, wisdom and a mindset of accommodating the greatest possible number of people in decision-making.
He reminded the committee that the government’s decisions should be acceptable to everyone.
Describing the media as a plural field, Zahir Uddin Swapan said there is no alternative to the coexistence of people of different opinions, viewpoints and ideas. So decisions should not be narrow or partisan; the principle of accommodating the greatest number of people through inclusive decision-making must be followed.
The true capacity of political leadership, he said, is revealed in taking acceptable decisions even in difficult and sensitive situations.
Describing the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting as one of the state’s most strategic and politically sensitive ministries, he said even a slightly wrong decision here could have major political and social consequences in future. Decisions must therefore be taken considering long-term impact rather than immediate thinking. The overall acceptability of decisions will depend on the wisdom, experience and foresight of the committee’s members, he said.
The meeting was chaired by Principal Information Officer Syed Abdal Ahmed and attended by the information ministry’s secretary (routine responsibility) Md Shah Alam, senior ministry officials and the newly formed members of the Press Accreditation Committee.
বাংলায় মূল প্রতিবেদন পড়ুন · Read the original Bengali report